


9 Years of Unsent Letters

by sunnybunnysuga (lonewolfsong)



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Aromantic, Cuddling & Snuggling, Kissing, Love Letters, M/M, Pining, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 09:17:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4954807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonewolfsong/pseuds/sunnybunnysuga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonghyun and Key had been friends ever since they were trainees. Now that they didn't have to live in the dorms anymore, the two were moving out to share an apartment together. But when Jonghyun finds a box of letters addressed to him, he begins to question his relationship with his Key.</p>
            </blockquote>





	9 Years of Unsent Letters

Jonghyun looked down at the pile of things Key had left behind for him to deal with. The friends had been living together for a few months now but had quickly found that Key’s old apartment just didn’t have enough room for them, let alone their massive wardrobes. After a bit of hunting, they found a nice place on the other side of town that was better suited for their lifestyle together. Key and Jonghyun had done most of the packing with both of them there to help sort things out but right now Key was taking the first load of boxes to their new apartment so they could actual breath in the cramped living room.

Leaving Jonghyun to deal with a pile of Key’s stuff that he had no idea how to sort out. 

He scratched his hair and clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Aish… What am I suppose to do with all this?” He paused for a second before gesturing dismissively. “I’ll just pack it up best I can. If it’s not how he wanted it to be than it’s his fault for not telling me before he left.”

Jonghyun sat down and slowly began to sort through all the clothes and random nicknacks. Clothes that could be folded went in one box, clothes that need to be hung were put in another, books and magazines where put in the bottom of the box were the random junk would be put after he’d wrapped them in tissue paper so they wouldn’t break while they were moving.

After a while, Jonghyun had developed a rhythm and was about to pack things away while he mindlessly sang a song to pass the time. An hour later, there was only one thing left for Jonghyun to pack away.

It was a simple box, the kind that mothers stored pictures in before they put them in scrapbooks. There was no labels on it, no decorations of any kind, it was just a simple white box. Jonghyun looked at it curiously. He had know Key for a very long time now and he had never know him to own something like this. Everything Key owned fit a certain image he wanted to portray. Key was fashionable, a bit of a diva, and very proud in his scene of style. The box was not something Key would buy for himself.

So had it been a gift then? But from who? And even more importantly, what was in it. 

He wanted to open it. He really and truly did. But Key was his best friend. He couldn’t just disrespect his privacy by digging around in his stuff, right? Jonghyun glanced back and forth between the apartment's front door and the box nervously, as if Key would walk in right at that moment.

Curiosity, however, got the better of Jonghyun and he looked at the front door before slowly opening the box. His eyes widened in surprise. Letters? That was the last thing he would have expected from Key. He was too much of a modern man to regularly write someone. Jonghyun, completely abandoning his conscience at this point and picked up the letter bound in string. He carefully slid the string off them and shifted through them. There were no addresses on their front but instead were dated with a month and year. They went back nearly nine years. Jonghyun opened one of the envelopes and flipped through the many sheets that had been crammed inside.

“Why do you have to be so handsome, Jonghyun? I swear I’d be totally fine and dandy if it wasn’t for you. Instead I’m all confused and and uncomfortable. I really really hate this.”

That was all that had been written on that page. Jonghyun looked at another and then another, all of which only had a few short sentences written on them.

“Why are you so perfect? I seriously can’t find a fault other than you talk a lot (like I can say anything though). This would be so much easier if you would just do something stupid so I can hate you and move on with my life.”

“So, we were just put in a group together. That’s… A thing. I don't know how this is going to work out, Jonghyun, but I mean, it could be worse. At least we get along.”

These seemed to be from their early days as trainees, all addressed to him. Jonghyun carefully put the letters back into the envelope like he found them and started to read some more recent ones. 

“Did you know that sometimes you sing in your sleep? It would be cute if it wasn’t keeping me from sleeping. I’ve barely slept all week, Jonghyun. Please let me rest.”

“I wanted to be aromantic, idiot. Why’d you have to go and prove me wrong. Ugh, I just don’t get this romance and love stuff. Why can’t you just pick what you want to be? That would make life so much nicer. Figuring out your identity is messy and uncomfortable.”

“I guess I’m Demiromanctic then? Does that sound right, Jonghyun? At first I only thought you were handsome but after we got close I really started to like you. I guess demi is a good as it’s going to get.”

“I really do love you, Jonghyun.”

The front door slammed open and Jonghyun jumped and tried to hastily shove the letters back in the envelope. Key was home. 

“Traffic is a nightmare! There were like five accidents in a row.” Key called out to his friend as he took of his shoes. “It’ll take forever to get everything over there at this rate. Did you at least finish the packing?”

He looked up just in time to see Jonghyun’s guilty expression as he closed the white box. Key’s eyes widened as he processed what he was seeing.

“Did you…” His voice trailed off and Jonghyun gulped. “Did you look?” Jonghyun said nothing. “Did you read them?”

“Yeah…”

The silence stretched on between them.

Key slowly closed the front door. He walked over to Jonghyun. Wordlessly, he took the box from him and cradled it in his arms. 

“…Why didn’t you tell me?” Jonghyun spoke softly, treading the waters carefully.

“…We’re in a group. It would ruin our dynamic. And if it didn’t work out, things could get messy for the other members. I didn’t want to be the one that messed us all up.”

“So you never said anything? For nine years, you kept it a secret?”

“No,” Key sighed and leaned against the wall. He looked down at Jonghyun, who still sat on the ground. “Onew knows. He’s the one who told me to write the letters. He said it might help.”

Key stared at the ground, refusing to look at Jonghyun. He played with his hands nervously, trying to keep himself from panicking. Jonghyun, however, wasn’t helping him. He stood up and walked over to the taller man. 

“Why do you like me?” He put his hands either side of Key in the wall and leaned in close.

“Jonghyun, if your just teasing me then please stop, it isn’t-” Key’s eyes were wide but his eyes refused to leave the other man’s collar and his face was growing more and more red. 

“Why would I be joking?” Jonghyun leaned even closer, their lips just a breath away from each other. Key reached up and wrapped his slender hands around Jonghyun’s wrists and gulped. “You’re not the only one who's kept secrets.”

Something flashed in Key’s eyes and it was Jonghyun’s turn have wide eyes as Key yanked his arm and turned to pin his hands above his head. Key held his wrists with one hand and the other traced Jonghyun’s jaw, his touch softer than a feather.

“What’s that suppose to mean? What secrets?” Key looked into Jonghyun’s eyes, searching for the meaning of that cryptic sentence.

“I love you, Key. I have for years.”

Key froze.

What?

He looked at Jonghyun, who was completely relaxed despite being pinned to a wall and smiling like a dork. More importantly though, there was such affection in his eyes that Key knew he couldn’t be lying. He wasn’t lying to make him feel better. He wasn’t lying so things would stay normal in Shinee. He wasn’t lying because of some stone ulterior motive. Jonghyun was telling the truth.

He loved him.

Jonghyun loved Key back.

Key let go of Jonghyun’s hands to grab his chin and he crushed their lips together. Jonghyun’s breath caught before he moaned into his lips wrapped his arms around Key to pull him closer. The shorter man reached a hand up and knotted his finger’s in Key’s blonde hair. He sighed and leaned into the kiss.

They had both been waiting for this for so long.

Key pulled away and peppered Jonghyun with kisses on his nose, his cheek, his eyes. He giggled at the soft kisses and tried to squirm out of his grasp.

“K-Key! S-Stop it! Haha!” Jonghyun tried to push Key’s face away with one hand. “That tickles!”

Key pulled away and pouted at him. “I’ve waited nine years for this and you’re trying to take that away from me?”

“What? You know that’s not what I mean-” Key cut him off with a peck on the lips.

“Then bare with me okay?” The smile on his face was so bright, Jonghyun found himself melt under it. 

Key kissed him passionately before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the bed.

They fell onto it together with giddy smiles filled with the wonder of a requited first love. Key wrapped his arms around Jonghyun and pulled him close so they could cuddle.

He ran his fingers leisurely through Jonghyun’s hair as they laid in each other’s arms.

After a while Jonghyun spoke up.

“You’re taking this surprisingly well. I thought you’d be really upset if looked through your stuff."

"I kinda hoped you would.” Key buried his face in Jonghyun’s arms. "I was getting tired of keeping secrets.”

Jonghyun leaned down and pecked him on the cheek before hesitantly asking,“Can…Can I read more of the letters?”

“…I mean, they were addressed to you so…”

Key slowly got out of bed and got the box for them. He handed it to Jonghyun before lying down and snuggling into his arms.

All thoughts of their move had been forgot as they laid on the bed in their old apartment looking through the letters together, laughing and reminiscing of all the times they spent together in the past. All the heartache they had felt in past from keeping their feelings a secret felt silly now that they could kiss each other as they pleased. All the stress was gone and now all they felt was the bliss of requited love.

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy I finally found the password to my old Ao3 account now I can actually post these on here and not just make them sit in AFF all by themselves. idk why but Ao3 seems like the cool kid table and AFF is the weeaboo table. Does that even make sense?


End file.
